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India Announces It Will Block .XXX Domains

(Ping! Zine Web Hosting Magazine) – ICANN’s (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) recent approval of the .XXX domains has sparked a ton of controversy. Since the announcement of the new top-level domain, there has been heavy outcry from many activists groups. Now it seems that other country’s are taking a stand, as well.

India announced that it will block .XXX domains, as it is illegal to distribute pornography in the country. India has become the first nation to block the new domains and more countries are expected to soon follow.

According to the Huffington Post, through Economic Times, a senior official at the ministry of IT recently said, “India along with many other countries from the Middle East and Indonesia opposed the grant of the domain in the first place, and we would proceed to block the whole domain, as it goes against the IT Act and Indian laws. Though some people have said that segregation is better, and some countries allow it. But for other nations transmission and direct distribution of such content goes against their moral and culture.”

Although there is an outcry over the new domain, many are forgetting that pornography can and will still be hosted on other domains such as .com, .net, and even .in as the .XXX application process is completely voluntary.

Websites looking to apply for the .XXX domain will be subjected to a strict set of standards that for example, will prohibit the distribution of child pornography.

The new domains are also expected to protect consumers from attacks, such as viruses and malware.